The action star lamented that Hong Kong has become a city of protests, where people "scold China, scold the leaders, scold anything, protest against anything.

"There should be regulations on what can and cannot be protested," Chan told the Southern People Weekly, which published his comments Wednesday. He didn't say what kinds of protests he thought should be restricted.

The star of movies such as "Rush Hour" and "Rumble in the Bronx" triggered a backlash three years ago with similar comments on the need to restrict freedom in his hometown.

A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 and is now a semiautonomous region. Residents are fiercely proud of the Western-style civil liberties they enjoy that are not seen on the mainland, including the freedom to demonstrate.

The city has been the scene lately of a rising number of protests by people upset with their Beijing-backed leader, Leung Chun-ying, a lack of full democracy and worries about Beijing's growing influence on the city.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in July to protest after Leung took office.

In 2009, Chan sparked outrage among lawmakers in Hong Kong when said he said, "I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not." He also said he was "beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled."

A representative for Chan did not respond to request for comment.

Southern People Weekly is part of a media group controlled by southern Guangdong province's Communist Party and known for its lively reporting.